1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cosmetic sampler and, more specifically, to a disposable unit dose or single application package for providing a cosmetic sample.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cosmetics have typically been available for sampling in department stores in the very containers in which the product is sold, or in smaller versions of the same container. This method generally works well with fragrances, where the product is applied by spraying onto the skin of the consumer such that the product reservoir remains untouched. Such method is less effective in marketing cosmetics, however, because many consumers feel uneasy about sampling a product from a container from which others have previously sampled due to the fear of contracting disease or infection.
The prior art has attempted to provide a more inexpensive and convenient means of marketing cosmetics by hand-outs or by mail, e.g., as inserts in department store bills or magazines. One such sampling means is a cosmetic "strip", which consists merely of make-up samples deposited on a substrate covered by a paper mask, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,496 to Fellows et al. Such "strips" do not allow for the presentation of the cosmetic sample in a design pattern, however, nor do they allow for the simultaneous presentation of a number of colors in a single design.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,719 to Levine et al. describes a cosmetic sampler wherein the product is deposited on a substrate and is covered with a transparent cover sheet. While this invention allows the consumer to fully view the color of the product without any initial manipulation of the package, the sample is subject to offset or smearing between the two layers, thus ruining any design pattern of the product sample.
An attempt has been made to address the problem of offset in U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,143 to Grainger. In this sampler package, a transparent bubble insert is disposed in a window over the product sample. The package is formed with multiple panels and window cutouts surrounding the bubble through which the sample is viewed. This invention, however, is complicated in design and is cumbersome to use for the consumer. Furthermore, the sampler would not be suitable for distribution in mail inserts or magazines due to its relatively bulky dimensions.
If the product to be sampled requires an applicator, such as a cosmetic powder or blush, the consumer often has to resort to using her fingers to apply the sample, as with the sampler disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,831 to Parrotta et al. The drawback, of course, is that the application process is messy; moreover, it is difficult to achieve an even coverage of the product using one's fingers.
The problems described above arise in the distribution of samples of creams, lipsticks, fragrances, pharmaceuticals, lotions, and other types of high viscosity, waxy materials.